Hunter Training
The New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association Inc, promotes hunting as a lifetime outdoor sport through the Hunter National Training Scheme (HUNTS). This training programme is conducted at branch level under the guidance of a national coordinator and in partnership with Mountain Safety Council. and the New Zealand Shooting Federation.
The programme syllabus covers the knowledge and skills to operate safely as a hunter in the New Zealand outdoors and teaches the ethics of fair chase and the principles of managing a sustainable game resource. Besides ecology and ethics, the course includes training in equipment, clothing, navigation, firearms, hunting techniques, photography, first aid and bush craft.
The course has proved popular with young adults and new members of the Association and NZDA is committed to continuing to deliver a quality product. Increasingly, specialist instructors have been brought in to deliver specialty items in the curriculum. The programme manual has been extensively revised and NZDA plans to develop, in partnership with other national organisations, a qualification based on unit standards and recognized by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
NZDA branches have huts, lodges, rifle ranges and hold local and national competitions in photography, literature, target shooting and trophy hunting. All this adds value to a membership in the organisation that acts as the advocate for game hunting in New Zealand.
THE PROGRAM
Our instructors have a proven level of competence through a national training and assessment package, and will coordinate the delivery of the HUNTS course with the support our national organisations who will pass on their experience in hunting and their knowledge to would-be hunters.
The classroom nights will be at Reikiorangi Hall, bushcraft at Otaki Forks, range day at the club range near Otaki, and the final hunt in Wanganui.
Monday 15th August, 7pm at clubrooms - Introduction and Module #1
Thursday 18th August, 7pm at clubrooms - Trip planning/equipment and food list - Modules #2, 8 & 9
Thursday 25th August, 7pm at clubrooms - Map reading and navigation - Modules #3
Saturday 27th August, 8am at Club Range - Range day and Module #4
Thursday 1st September, 7pm at clubrooms - Firearm safety and Module #4
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th September, Otaki River, Lutz Farm - Map reading and navigation, river crossing - Modules #3 & 5
Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th, Hunts weekend - Modules #6 & 7 (Wanganui Hunting Block)
Thursday 29th September, 7pm at clubrooms - Hunts round up and small goods night
$300 per person, plus a Deerstalkers membership
Numbers are limited to 12 participants. Contact the Club Secretary for details, or speak to one of our committee members at a meeting.
HUNTS Manual
If you cannot make it to the HUNTS course, the next best thing is the manual used in the course.
Topics include:
This is an excellent read for new and experienced hunters and can be ordered from the Mountain Safety Council.